Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 132 'Little Li Flying Dagger' Li Xunhuan, Long Xiaoyun Invites Him! [Two Chapters Combined]

The wind and snow were howling, and the snow outside had piled up all over the streets, burying most of the traces.

The once bustling inn was now completely silent.

Downstairs was deserted, and upstairs there was only Jiang Xuan and his three companions at their table.

The original guests were driven away, some even running away before paying their bills. The innkeeper was heartbroken but dared not cause trouble for Jiang Xuan and his companions.

Everyone knew that the group of people who came looking for trouble were after Jiang Xuan and his companions, but they had already slunk away, while Jiang Xuan and his group remained unharmed.

Is it even necessary to say who is more wicked?
He had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill, even if he didn't want to.

"I'll book the entire inn for tonight."

Jiang Xuan tossed him a hundred-tael silver note to make up for his loss, allowing him to continue serving good food and drink without having to entertain any other guests.

The innkeeper immediately turned his sorrow into joy, thanked him repeatedly, and went to make preparations.

"Wait a minute!"

Just then, a noise came from downstairs.

A pale-faced man in his thirties, accompanied by a burly man as tall as an iron tower, came upstairs and said with a smile, "Brother, it's getting late, and the heavy snow has blocked the roads. I'd like to rest here for the night before continuing my journey. Would you be so kind as to make an exception?"

The man paused, then continued, "Of course, I won't take advantage of you for nothing. I can cover half of the cost of your food and lodging at the inn tonight."

Another hundred-tael silver note was handed to the innkeeper.

The latter was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to accept or not, and could only awkwardly turn to Jiang Xuan: "Sir, what do you think..."

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, quietly watching the two people who walked up, especially the man in the lead.

Of course, it's not to say that the burly man behind the man wasn't worth paying attention to. In fact, the burly man still gave Jiang Xuan a sense of danger, and was clearly a grandmaster as well.

However, such a master was willing to become this man's servant, so this man must not be an ordinary person.

Although Jiang Xuan did not sense any threat from him, nor did he feel any aura leaking out.

But the more this was the case, the more certain Jiang Xuan became of this man's extraordinary nature.

Little Li Flying Dagger...

Jiang Xuan glanced at the knife and wood carving in the man's hand and instantly recognized the man's identity.

Third on the Weapon Ranking: Little Li's Flying Dagger, Li Xunhuan!

Sure enough, this one has also entered the pass!
The martial arts world of the Central Plains is about to get exciting again...

Jiang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the innkeeper, and said, "If they give it to you, then take it."

The innkeeper breathed a sigh of relief, thanked them repeatedly, and asked what the two wanted to eat. He then hurriedly ran to instruct the kitchen to prepare it.

"Thank you, sir."

Li Xunhuan smiled slightly, cupped his hands in thanks, and led the burly man to the next table to sit down.

It has to be said that even though he is nearly forty years old, his smile is still very charming and he is quite handsome. If he were to walk down the street, he would surely charm countless women.

One school has seven Jinshi, and the father and his son have three talents.

This is Li Xunhuan!

Even though Jiang Xuan had a preconceived notion and looked down on this cuckold who could even give away his wife, he had to admit that this guy was indeed very charming.

But thinking about what this guy had done, Jiang Xuan still found it hard to feel any goodwill towards him. He said indifferently, "There's no need to thank me. I just didn't want to put the owner in a difficult position. I don't own the inn, and I have no right to stop the owner from being polite."

"In any case, I greatly admire your kindness in considering others," Li Xunhuan said with a smile.

“There is a difference between kindness and the most basic bottom line.”

After saying that, Jiang Xuan shut up, not wanting to have anything to do with this guy anymore.

Li Xunhuan naturally noticed that Jiang Xuan's attitude was somewhat cold. Although he was puzzled, he did not continue to pester him. He took out the wood carving in his hand, placed it on the table, and continued to carve with a knife.

As the shadow on the wood carving gradually took shape, his gaze suddenly softened, as if he were looking at his most beloved wife.

But this behavior only made Jiang Xuan more uncomfortable, because he knew who the woman that guy was carving was.

He couldn't be bothered to look anymore, so he turned his gaze to A-Fei across from him and asked, "Are you full?"

Afei ignored Jiang Xuan and Li Xunhuan's conversation. He didn't even turn around to look at them, keeping his head down and eating. He seemed to care nothing about things that didn't concern him.

He eats very seriously and carefully, chewing each grain of rice thoroughly before swallowing it, clearly treasuring his food.

Jiang Xuan greatly appreciated this.

Compared to Li Xunhuan, this character is more like the protagonist.

Hearing Jiang Xuan's question, he put down his chopsticks, seemed a little hesitant, but still nodded and said, "I'm full."

Jiang Xuan smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about not being able to pay me back. You can eat as much as you want. The things I ask you to do tonight may be far more valuable than the food you eat. In the end, I'll be the one who owes you."

After a moment of silence, Afei said, "Actually, you don't need me to take action to solve these problems."

Jiang Xuan understood what he meant and smiled, saying, "But I'm a rather lazy person. I generally won't do anything myself if I don't have to. You should know that famous people have this habit, and I'm no exception."

Ah Fei was puzzled. Why bother others with things he could handle himself?
Jiang Xuan explained with a smile, "It's like a tiger that's already had its fill. Would it still be interested in a mouse that's provoking it? It might be interested in an antelope or a wild deer, but it would have absolutely no interest in a mouse."

With that, Afei understood.

"Is this what you think after becoming famous?" As if he had thought of something, Afei's eyes became somewhat dazed.

Was that the reason that person abandoned his mother and went abroad back then?
“You’ll have the same thought after you become famous,” Jiang Xuan nodded, quite certain.

Each stage has its own opponents. No one is interested in those who can be easily crushed, and killing them doesn't bring any sense of accomplishment.

This is one of the reasons why he took Ren Yingying and Lan Fenghuang with him when he went out, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.

But now, he has a better option.

A young man who is new to the world and eager to become famous is very suitable to solve these troubles for himself, and at the same time, he can quickly make a name for himself and achieve his wish.

"Will I be able to become as famous as you in the future?" Afei was a little uncertain, and the scene from earlier flashed through his mind again.

Dozens of skilled镖局 (bodyguard agencies) members, including a chief镖头 (chief镖头), knelt down and begged for mercy without hesitation simply because they recognized Jiang Xuan's identity. They even went so far as to attack their own people in order to please Jiang Xuan and resolve this feud.

Could he become that kind of person someday?

"Yes, starting tonight."

Jiang Xuan was very certain.

Afei took a deep breath, nodded, and continued eating.

“Sometimes, fame isn’t necessarily a good thing.” At that moment, a sigh suddenly came from the side.

Ah Fei paused, then looked back with some confusion.

Jiang Xuan glanced at this meddlesome fellow and frowned, saying, "What's it to you if I eat your food?"

Li Xunhuan was stunned, while the burly man behind him was somewhat angry. He stood up, wanting to argue with Jiang Xuan, as he would never allow anyone to be disrespectful to his young master.

But he was stopped by Li Xunhuan as soon as he got up.

"Brother, have I offended you?" Li Xunhuan asked Jiang Xuan, puzzled.

"I just didn't like you back then, is there a problem with that?" Jiang Xuan looked at him calmly.

Li Xunhuan remained silent for a moment, then smiled and nodded, saying, "Of course, no problem. In this world, you are by no means the only one who doesn't like me."

"However, even if you don't like me, I still have to say that I absolutely cannot agree with your teachings to this young man."

As Li Xunhuan spoke, he glanced at A Fei, whose thin clothes contrasted sharply with those of Jiang Xuan and the other two, and a hint of pity flashed in his eyes. He said, "Judging from this young brother's clothes, he must also be from outside the Great Wall. If you truly care about him, you should never encourage him to seek fame. The waters of the martial world are not so easy to navigate..."

"What's it to you?!" A-Fei suddenly interrupted, his gaze turning icy. He utterly loathed Li Xunhuan's pitying look.

He needs no one's sympathy!

"You...you really don't know what's good for you!" The burly man was a little annoyed. The young master was clearly doing it for his own good, but this kid didn't appreciate it.

"That's all."

Li Xunhuan waved his hand, somewhat disheartened, and said, "It was my fault for meddling. Don't blame this young man."

Jiang Xuan couldn't stand his saintly behavior any longer and frowned, saying, "You have your own experiences and past, and others have their own dreams. Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. Why do you have to impose your own ideas on others?"

"Does it mean you're the only one who's right, and everyone else is wrong? If you think you're right, then why did you come back? Haven't you learned your lesson from what happened back then?"

Li Xunhuan's eyes flickered slightly: "Brother, do you recognize who I am?"

"The renowned scholar Li Xunhuan, also known as Little Li Flying Dagger, how many people in the martial arts world wouldn't know him?" Jiang Xuan said with a hint of sarcasm.

"What?! He's Li Xunhuan?!"

Upon hearing this, Ren Yingying and the others were somewhat surprised and looked at Li Xunhuan in disbelief.

Afei gripped the iron sword at his waist, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. He had heard of Li Xunhuan's name, even though he was outside the Great Wall.

What he longed for was to become such a famous person!

"I never expected that after so many years since I left, my name would still be known in the martial arts world." Li Xunhuan was also somewhat surprised, then he laughed at himself.

He looked at Jiang Xuan, cupped his hands respectfully, and said, "Brother is right. Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. I should not impose my own ideas on others."

"But since you know me, sir, you harbor such hostility towards me. May I ask if there is some old grudge between us?"

"It is fate that we have met. If possible, I hope to resolve this grievance with you."

"You think too much."

Jiang Xuan said calmly, "I've already said that we have no grudges or grievances. I just simply don't like you. We've only met by chance, so there's no need for us to become close."

The burly man couldn't help but sneer, "Since you know my young master's identity, how dare you be so rude? Do you think my young master wants to befriend you? In this martial world, there are countless people who would like to befriend my young master, but he wouldn't even look at them!"

Jiang Xuan glanced at him and sneered, "Who wouldn't want to be friends with someone who would give away his fiancée to another man as his wife?"

Li Xunhuan's face stiffened, and his eyes instantly filled with sorrow and pain.

Jiang Xuan's words were like a thorn, piercing deep into his heart...

Ren Yingying and the others were taken aback, finding it hard to believe that Li Xunhuan had actually done such a thing.

Afei frowned in confusion and looked at Jiang Xuan: "Why would he give his fiancée to someone else?"

"shut up!"

The burly man shouted angrily, knowing full well that this matter was the young master's private domain.

Although he was surprised that Jiang Xuan knew about this, he would never allow anyone to reopen the wounds of his young master.

"Am I wrong?"

Jiang Xuan coldly glanced at the burly man, then looked at Li Xunhuan: "You and Long Xiaoyun are sworn brothers. He saved you. In order to repay his kindness, you actually gave away your fiancée. You didn't even consider whether she was willing or not. You gave her away like a commodity."

"Now that the die is cast, why are you coming back to disturb other people's lives? Are you trying to show off your loyalty and compassion?"

"enough!"

Li Xunhuan suddenly slammed his hand on the table, his face flushed red, but he quickly slumped down, his eyes filled with pain and sorrow. He gave a bitter smile and said, "You're right. Back then, it was my fault. Perhaps, I shouldn't have come back..."

As he spoke, Li Xunhuan staggered to his feet, his already pale face turning even paler. He walked downstairs dejectedly, having lost all appetite.

The burly man glared hatefully at Jiang Xuan and quickly chased after him. But no one in the crowd sympathized with him.

Ren Yingying and the others all showed disdain on their faces.

A renowned swordsman, in order to repay a debt of gratitude, actually gave up his fiancée to someone else.
Is this the behavior of a gentleman?
"There are actually people like this in the world..." Ah Fei murmured, still puzzled.

There are many ways to repay a debt of gratitude, so why give your fiancée to someone else?

"This is the price of being a saint," Jiang Xuan said calmly.

"What does 'Holy Mother' mean?" Afei and the other two asked, puzzled.

There's a saying, "A gentleman can be deceived by his principles." Perhaps this explanation will help you understand.

Jiang Xuan looked down at the carriage that was gradually moving away and said, "I just treated him like that, reopening his wounds. If it were anyone else, they might have already become angry and attacked me. And I wasn't confident that I could catch Little Li's flying dagger."

"But I still spoke up, and I succeeded in provoking him, but he still didn't make a move. Do you know why?"

"Because he is kind."

Ren Yingying said, "A person like him, if no one wants to kill him, even if they insult or curse him, he probably won't fight back."

“You’re wrong. If he sees the other person as a so-called good person, even if they want to kill him, he’d probably put his neck under their blade and be slaughtered.” Jiang Xuan shook his head.

If you were to call Li Xunhuan a good person, he truly is, and he certainly deserves the title of a great hero.

But it's just too good.

"Are all so-called heroes like this?" Afei couldn't understand why such people could become heroes.

“There are many kinds of heroes, and he is just one of them. Moreover, becoming famous does not mean that one has to become a hero.”

Jiang Xuan looked at A Fei: "If you want to become famous, you should have your own judgment. You must not become like him."

He deliberately provoked Li Xunhuan away for two reasons: first, he genuinely disliked the guy's saintly behavior and couldn't help but speak his mind; second, he was worried that if he got too close to the guy, he might corrupt A Fei into the same way.

Aside from giving his wife away, this guy's personal charm is undeniable.

Having finally recruited another great general, Jiang Xuan didn't want him to run away with him.

Ah Fei nodded, his expression resolute: "If someone tries to kill me, I will kill him, and I will never give my fiancée to someone else!"

Jiang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

"I'm full." A-Fei put down his chopsticks, looked at Jiang Xuan, and asked, "When are you going to kill him?"

"Not urgent……"

Jiang Xuan was about to speak when his eyes suddenly lit up, and he changed his words, saying, "They've arrived."

Ah Fei seemed to sense something as well, gripped the iron sword at his waist, and turned to look downstairs.

Two figures were blown in by the wind like snowflakes.

Both men wore bright red cloaks and wide conical hats. They were almost identical in appearance and height, the only difference being that the man on the left was pale, while the man on the right was as black as the bottom of a pot, resembling the legendary Black and White Impermanence.

The two men gripped their long swords tightly and slowly walked upstairs to stand before Jiang Xuan and his companions. Their cold, venomous eyes swept over the four of them.

Jiang Xuan frowned slightly. He wasn't afraid, but the ugly faces of the two men were really affecting his mood for drinking.

"The Azure Blood Twin Serpents?"

Ren Yingying suddenly spoke, her eyes filled with disgust, clearly recognizing the two people.

"The Azure Blood Twin Serpents?" Afei's eyes lit up. "Are they famous?"

Ren Yingying nodded: "They can be considered somewhat famous. They've been operating in the Yellow River area for the past few years. They're ruthless and have killed many experts. It's said that the cloaks they wear are stained with blood."

"hey-hey……"

The black snake suddenly spoke, letting out a strange laugh, and said, "I didn't expect this little lady to have actually heard of the names of us brothers."

The white snake's gaze swept over the four people, finally settling on Jiang Xuan. Its eyes turned cold as it said, "Since you know who my brother and I are, then hand over what you took from Zhuge Lei. Maybe if we brothers are in a good mood, we might spare your lives."

The two men failed to notice that none of the four men showed the slightest fear on their faces.

Instead, Ah Fei's eyes shone even brighter. He turned to look at Jiang Xuan and asked, "Can those two pay for the drinks?"

“Okay.” Jiang Xuan nodded.

"What about the money for the drinks?"

The 'Azure Blood Twin Serpents' were somewhat bewildered. The black serpent shouted, "Didn't you hear us? My patience is running out, hurry up..."

Tsk, tsk!

Before they could finish speaking, both of them froze, the rest of their words stuck in their throats, unable to come out.

Because they all had a bloody hole in their throats.

Neither of them had even seen who had thrown the sword, nor did they know when they had been struck. It was only when they noticed the boy beside them, whom they had never paid any attention to, slowly wiping the blood-stained 'iron piece' in his hand, that a look of realization appeared in their eyes.

"So fast... sword!" The two fell to the ground, their eyes wide open. After a moment, blood slowly spurted from their necks.

"What a fast sword!"

A hint of admiration flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes; he was deeply impressed.

A swordsman who has just opened up his Ren and Du meridians, and doesn't even know how to use his internal energy, but has only grasped the essence of swordsmanship, has a sword strike that is almost as good as the likes of Xi Yu and Xia Xueyi.

Among the swordsmen under his command, the only one who can currently rival him is probably Yan Shisan.

Ren Yingying and Lan Fenghuang looked at each other, their eyes showing shock.

They hadn't quite understood why Jiang Xuan valued this young man who had just entered the Innate Realm so much.

But through this sword strike, they understood.

At the innate level, realm is not the only standard for measuring combat power.

At least, neither of them was confident they could withstand Afei's sword strike.

"Anything else?" Afei's face flushed slightly, as if he had finally experienced the thrill of fighting against a master, but he was still not satisfied and turned to look at Jiang Xuan.

"Maybe."

Jiang Xuan understood his meaning and nodded slightly: "Even if he doesn't come tonight, the next few days will definitely not be peaceful."

The Golden Lion Escort Agency also returned empty-handed. In order to save face, they would certainly not reveal the truth to the outside world. At most, they would only say that the Golden Silk Armor was in their possession.

There are many foolish people in this world, and there are certainly many masters more skilled than the Golden Lion Escort Agency.

The 'Azure Blood Twin Serpents' is a prime example.

“Okay, I’ll follow you for the next few days until I pay off the food debt.” Afei nodded, very excited.

What an innocent child!
Jiang Xuan couldn't help but chuckle.

If you have to pay back the food bill, you'll probably never be able to pay it back in your lifetime.

However, he didn't say much, just smiled and agreed, picked up his glass and drank the wine in it, thus ending the dinner.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, piling up to almost as deep as an adult's thigh.

The journey, which should have taken only two days, has now had to be postponed. We have to wait until the snow stops before we can continue, otherwise we simply cannot make it.

Such severe weather not only affects travel but also many other activities.

For example, murder and robbery.

The Golden Lion Escort Agency and the Azure Blood Twin Serpents were just lucky to arrive, and since they were not far from the town, they rushed over overnight.

For the next two days, nothing happened.

On the third day, when some of the snow had melted and Jiang Xuan and his companions continued their journey, a third wave of trouble followed.

When the carriage reached the crossroads of the mountain road, it passed a tavern built at the foot of the mountain, but its path was blocked.

Six men dressed in black sat in a row at the entrance of the restaurant, drinking and waiting.

Although some of the snow had melted, the weather remained bitterly cold. Yet, the six men seemed oblivious to the chill, sitting quietly at the table outside the door.

Upon hearing the sound of the carriage, the six men remained silent, picked up their weapons, slowly rose, and walked to the middle of the road to block the way.

The law——

The horses neighed and stopped. Afei stared silently at the six people in front of him, also without saying a word. Then, a look of disappointment flashed in his eyes, and he said, "They're not even as good as the 'Azure Blood Twin Serpents'."

“That’s normal. There are many experts in the world, but it’s impossible for us to always run into them by chance,” Jiang Xuan’s voice came from inside the carriage.

"Are these six enough to cover the cost of a meal of drinks?" Afei asked.

“Okay,” Jiang Xuan said.

The carriage continued forward, and six corpses, their eyes wide open, fell into pools of blood, gradually being covered by the wind and snow.

After a long while, two figures emerged from the tavern. They looked at the corpse on the ground and gazed at the departing carriage, their eyes still filled with fear.

"This person's swordsmanship is extremely powerful; he is definitely not someone that an ordinary person can deal with!"

"No wonder even the Golden Lion Escort Agency and the Azure Blood Twins suffered a setback!"

"What should we do now?"

"Pass the word down: first check the identities of the people in the carriage, then make your move once they arrive in Baoding!"

……

Baoding Prefecture was an important town guarding the capital, and a considerable number of troops were stationed there.

Similarly, many underworld forces have also taken root here.

Among them, the most famous are undoubtedly the Hebei Shaolin Temple, Cangjian Villa, and Xingyun Villa.

Even the legendary "King of Kyushu" Shen Tianjun and his son Shen Lang, as well as Li Xunhuan, the Little Flying Dagger, all hailed from Baoding, making it a place renowned for its outstanding people and beautiful scenery.

The carriage traveled south without encountering any further trouble along the way.

We finally arrived in Baoding City safely around dusk.

Unexpectedly, before they even entered the city, they were intercepted again.

"Young hero, please inform my master that he invites you all to his manor for a chat." Two swordsmen dressed as servants stopped the carriage and extended the invitation.

If martial arts don't work, how about using literary skills?

Jiang Xuan smiled, without showing himself, and asked, "Who is your master?"

A swordsman respectfully said, "My master is the lord of Xingyun Manor, Long Xiaoyun, the Lord of Manor Long."

"Long Xiaoyun? Interesting..."

A smile appeared on Jiang Xuan's lips as he said, "Lead the way."

"Yes!"

Two swordsmen quickly stepped forward to lead the way. Afei remained silent and followed in his carriage, but his gaze lingered on the words "Baoding" at the city gate, as if he were deep in thought.

(End of this chapter)